Elliott j



UNITED STATES ATENT @rrrcn.

ELLIOTT J. STODDARD, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE H. C. HARTMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME- PLACE.

GAS-ENGINE.

' EIEEGIEIGATION forming part of Letters Iatent No. 533,754, datedFebruary 5, 1 895.

Application filed May 3 l. 1 8 94:,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLIOTT J. STODDARD, of Detroit, in the county of'Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Gas-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to gas engines, and consists in the improvementshereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, the figure is a verticallongitudinal section of so much of a gas engine as is neceessary toillustrate my invention.

Aisa cylinder closed at both ends. B is the piston in said cylinder.

0 is the piston rod, D the connecting rod, E the main shaft, and F thefly wheel of the engine.

G is a drum concentric with, and immovably connected to the fly wheel F.

H is an arm pivoted upon the shaft E next to the druinG.

The connecting rod D is pivoted at one end to the free end of the arm H.

I is a clutch which permits the arm H to turn in a positive directionaround the shaft E, independent of the drum G, but prevents anyindependent turning of said arm with reference to said drum, in theother direction.

J is a reservoir for compressed air.

K is a port leading from the reservoir J.

L is a valve covering the port K.

j is a valve case covering the port K and valve L.

M is a hand screw passing through the valve case j, and adapted toadjust the tension of a spring m, which spring acts to press the valve Lagainst its seat.

N is a check valve covering a port '12- which port communicates with thecylinder A, at the opposite end to that with which the port 10 connects.

Q and R are hand screws by which the tensions of springs q and) maybeadj usted, which springs act to press the valves N and P respectivelyagainst their seats.

W is a carburetor.

T is a pipe connecting the interior of the valve case j with the port p,and U V w are pipes connecting the interior of said case wit thecarburetor W and with the port a. A

Serial No, 513,068. (No model.)

portion of the compressed air passes through the pipe U and carburetorW, in the latter of which it becomes impregnated with combustible vapor.Another portion of said air passes through the pipe V, and mixes withthe portion that has passed through the carburetor W, to form anexplosive mixture. The cock in the pipe V is used to vary the size ofthe passage through said pipe and thus regulate the proportion of airthat shall pass through said pipe.

I have not shown nor described the pump by which the supply ofcompressed air is kept up in the reservoir J because this is wellunderstood, and forms no part of this invention. For the same reason Ihave not shown or described the inlet and exhaust valves of the engine.

The operation of the above described device is as follows: Air iscompressed by a pump (not shown) and forced into the reservoir J, say atsixty pounds absolute. From the reservoir J the air may pass to the portN through pipes U, to, V, being carbureted and converted into anexplosive mixture on its way. From the same reservoir compressed air maypass to the port 19 through the pipe T. The compressed explosive mixtureis admitted behind the piston B, and fired, driving the piston 13forward, compressing and storing up the work of said explosion in theair before said piston. On its return stroke, the piston B receives itsimpulse from the air that has been compressed before it, and gives outthe work that has been stored in said air to the main shaft E throughthe clutch I and drum G. The pressure of the air at the port 19, and ofthe explosive mixture at the port it, is equal to the pressure of theair in the reservoir J, minus the pressure of the spring in. Thepressure of the explosive mixture above the valve N, is equal to thepressure below said valve minus the pressure with which said valve isacted upon by the spring q. The pressure of the air above the valve P isequal to the pressure below said valve minus the pressure of the spring1'. Now, if the fill chamber and the space in front of the piston B areso proportioned that the piston B makes a stroke of the required lengthunder the impulse of the explosion, the work the engine is able to domay be increased or diminished by turning the hand screw M, thusincreasing or diminishing the pressure .in both ends of the cylinder Ato the same 1. The combination with a gas engine in which the energy ofthe explosion is stored up in aspring, of means adapted to vary theamount of explosive charge andstrength of said spring in thesame-proportions, suhstan tially as shown and described.

2. The combination with a gas-engine in which the energy of theexplosion is stored up in a spring, of means adapted to vary the amountof the explosive charge and the strength of said springin varyingproportions, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a gas-engine, the combination of a cylinder A closed at bothends,a reservoir J of compressed gas, a pipe U V communicating with thecylinderA-at one end, a pipe T coinmunicating with said cylinder at theend of said cylinder opposite to that with which the pipes U Vcommunicate, a valve L adapted to close the passage way between saidreservoir and the pipes U, V, T, the spring m, acting to press saidvalve upon its seat against the pressure of the air in said reservoir,and means foradjusting the tension of said spring.

4*. In a'gasengine the combination of a cylinder A,closedat both ends, areservoir of compressed gas J, pipes U, V and T communicating withopposite ends of said cylinder, and with said reservoir, a valve N or Pin each of said pipes, a spring q or r, acting to close said valveagainst the pressure of i said gas, and means for adjusting the tensionof said spring, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a gas engine the combination of a cylinder A,'closed at both ends,a reservoir of compressed gas J, pipes U, Vand T, communicating withopposite endsof said cylinder andwith said reservoir, a valve N or P ineach of said pipes, a-sprin'g q or r acting to close said valve againstthe pressure of said gas, means for adjusting the'tension of saidspring, a valve Lin the passage Way between both of said pipes and thereservoir J, a spring an acting to close the valve L against thepressure of spring m, substantially as shown and described.

ELLIOTT J. STODDARD. iVitnesses:

HENRY B. Lornaor, AMELIA J. WILLIAMs.

